General > General Technical Chat
GFCIs and Treadmills
soldar:
I cannot imagine how it can be legal to sell a machine that trips a GFCI.
I cannot imagine how it can be technically justified. Sounds like crap with insufficient insulation.
In Europe the code requires whole house protection so you could not use it.
BrianHG:
--- Quote from: soldar on May 02, 2024, 05:08:57 pm ---I cannot imagine how it can be legal to sell a machine that trips a GFCI.
I cannot imagine how it can be technically justified. Sounds like crap with insufficient insulation.
In Europe the code requires whole house protection so you could not use it.
--- End quote ---
Treadmills with big DC motors, driving 15amp spikes through the commutators and coils within the metal can chassis which is the motor itself will trip sensitive GFCIs. They actually may need to to pass FCC EMI specifications. Same goes for some power tools.
Sal Ammoniac:
--- Quote from: dferyance on May 02, 2024, 03:41:36 pm ---For example:
IMPORTANT: The treadmill is not compatible with GFCI-equipped outlets
PROBLEM: The treadmill circuit breaker trips during a workout.
SOLUTION: Verify the following: • Make sure the treadmill is plugged into a dedicated 20-amp circuit. • Verify that you do not have the machine on an extension cord or surge protector. • Confirm that the machine is not plugged into a GFCI-equipped outlet or on a circuit that has a
GFCI
-equipped outlet on it.
• Lubricate treadmill deck if necessary
https://content.johnsonfit.com/inc/uploaded_media/735ad83e7ab78941e8045cc7faad3510/owners_guide/3f10af8d9932e71dee9fd0299c13b634.pdf
--- End quote ---
Here's what another manufacturer of treadmills says about GFCI-protected outlets:
--- Quote ---Most homes are now built with two types of outlets: GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) and AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter). Both outlets are designed to trip if there is a hazardous condition detected in the home’s wiring. However, because of the outlet’s design, treadmills and incline trainers do not interact well with GFCI or AFCI outlets.
GFCI outlets are often found in bathrooms and kitchens, and are often identified by the red or white reset switch on the plate. GFCI outlets are designed to flip their breakers if there is too much power flowing through the ground port. Because treadmills and incline trainers use the ground prong on the outlets to disperse static electricity, if you plug your machine into a GFCI outlet, it will likely trip the breaker and shut down the machine. If this is occurring, move the treadmill to a different outlet. GFCI breakers often cover other outlets nearby, including outlets that do not have the red reset switch on the plate, so it is recommended that the treadmill is located in a separate area. It is also important that the treadmill is on a dedicated circuit.
--- End quote ---
https://www.nordictrackfitness.com.au/support/treadmill-power-issues-style-b/GfciafciOutlets
Sal Ammoniac:
--- Quote from: EPAIII on May 02, 2024, 09:39:22 am ---If it is a NEW treadmill, I would RETURN it as DEFECTIVE. It either has an actual ground fault and there is a real danger or it is a bad design. In either case, a new item should not trip any of the GFCI devices PERIOD! If it does it is defective in some way and should be returned.
--- End quote ---
Here's some more info. My wife bought this treadmill new about five years ago and has been using it almost daily since then. She's never been shocked by it. I only found out about the GFCI issue last week when I happened to be walking by the inner door to the garage and saw an extension cord coming through the doorway and plugged into an outlet in the hallway inside the house. When I asked my wife about it she told me about it tripping the GFCI when she plugged it into an outlet in the garage. Apparently, she's been using it this way for five years.
I'll have her demonstrate the issue so I can determine exactly when the GFCI trips--either as soon as she turns it on, or after the belt starts moving.
themadhippy:
--- Quote ---GFCI outlets are designed to flip their breakers if there is too much power flowing through the ground port. Because treadmills and incline trainers use the ground prong on the outlets to disperse static electricity, if you plug your machine into a GFCI outlet, it will likely trip the breaker
--- End quote ---
WALOB ,first i can easily trip an rcd (gfci) without ANYTHING escaping to earth and secondly static discharge through the ground wont cause an imbalance of current between live and neutral so the device shouldnt trip.sounds more like there trying to cover up there iffy design
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